Please come and help me and DH price a tricky potential freelance job - not just for freelancers, would welcome all opinions.

[eekamoose]

DH has been offered work for 4 weeks abroad during the summer holidays (we have two dcs in school).

We were planning to take them away for two weeks, so if he takes this job it means either having a one week holiday, or keeping them both off school for a week at either end of the holiday.

He could be away for 4 weeks solid, a long way away (ok, China). Me, SAHM, often feel I spend too long in sole charge of children as it is.

What sort of money, on top of DH's usual earnings (ie. a premium) would you want to be paid in order to make this job worthwhile?

Ie. double?, three times?, or more? usual earnings? or usual earnings plus enough extra to take dcs away for pricey holiday in Autumn half term?

Am not asking any freelancers to name their usual daily fee, just what sort of premium you think is reasonable in these circumstances.

Don't forget it means 4 WEEKS during school hols for me without DH!

Thanks.

Eeek.

The cost of a holiday in autumn, three days in a spa for you when he gets back, and a temporary nanny/mother's help for four weeks.

Or, with my freelance hat on, the very maximum anyone has ever paid for that kind of job. If I wasn't sure about a job I'd ask a ridiculous amount - and then if I did get it, I wouldn't be upset, and if I didn't, that was also fine...

Oh yes, Lol at the idea of mothers help for me!

I think DH should price himself very high. We will survive if he doesn't get it, but it is a big thing to do, isn't it, to go away for 4 weeks and not see your 7 and 4 year old children? (let alone your 45 year old wife!).

I think there are two different things here:

1. what is the going rate, or range of going rates, for the job in question (i.e. what can your reasonably ask for / get?), and

1. how much money would make it worth it for you.

The two answers might be different. If 1 is lower than 2, then he doesn't do it. Can't really help with 1 without knowing the role, normal earnings, your living costs etc.

tbh IMHO there should be no difference if it is holiday time or not, He should price himself high if he dosn;t want the job, but thin about hwhat the extra could offer.

My dh is freelance and he is planning the whole hliday off with the kids, however he has been offered work, he will be getting paid about 1.5 times his reular ammount

The problem is, he has been asked to email the company with his "salary expectations" - we have no idea what they are thinking of paying.

As it is 4 weeks, I was thinking of him asking for one twelfth of his normal annual earnings plus 50% because he will have to be away from home such a long time and sacrifice a much looked-forward-to and hard earned summer break with his kids.

Or should it be a hard-nosed double what he could expect to earn in this country during that period?

Or, should he email the company back and say I can't give you a price, you need to make me an offer?

Thanks if you're sticking with this.

I'd go double......

Does he normally work abroad?

I would say at least double, plus living expenses. If they really need him it will be cheap to them.

If you think about it, he won't actually have any 'free' time. He won't be working all the time, but in the hours he's not working he won't be able to do his usual non-working activities eg spending time with his family. So he should be paid quite a bit more.

Make sure he flys out on a weekday too, so that you don't lose your weekend when he leaves and comes home.

Its not unusual for him to work out of the country KatyMac. Usually Europe for 1 or 2 nights at a time. On those occasions he charge his usual daily rate (perhaps at the higher end of the scale of his daily rate), plus half of what he would normally earn for travelling days (ie. days when he can't work for someone else cos he's flying out or back from somewhere).

All his living expenses will be very well catered for. He would be living in Olympic Village.

Aaaaaarggghhh, if only it could be 3 weeks so we could squeeze in a summer holiday as well.

Double plus expenses

IMHO 1.5 x usual daily rate + expenses (err on teh 'high side' of his daily rate before multiplying

Double plus expenses. Traditionally, Beijing is a hardship posting.

Double. Unless they'll pay for you and kids to go to china with him on holiday? Could be trip of a lifetime!

To be perfectly honest, Beijing is pretty nasty in the summer - scorching hot (40 degrees) and foully polluted. It probably wouldn't be a fantastic holiday destination at that time of year.

I've done that travelling with dh thing, and it's not a holiday. It's much better to stay at home and grab a quick week before he goes/after he comes back.

Could you do a week away short-haul before he goes and then a week in the UK when he gets back? That way you still have 2 weeks holiday, and the kids get to spend time with him.

I don't fancy Beijing in the summer! I don't think he does really, except it will be fantastic to work on the Olympics. Has to be a very good amount to make it worthwhile, I guess.

Still umming and ahhing.

Thanks for your input everyone.